Charlie Ward is the reply to some flattering trivia questions, most notably as the one Heisman trophy winner to play within the NBA.
So, Ward’s not precisely heartbroken about shedding his affiliation with one other streak — the certainly one of doubtful distinction in Knicks historical past.
“Sounds good to me,” Ward informed the Daily News, including that he hears in regards to the Charlie Ward Curse “all the time.”
Until RJ Barrett agreed to an extension this week, Ward was the final Knicks’ first rounder to signal a second contract off his rookie deal, when he inked a 28-million contract in 1999. The 23-year drought encapsulated, maybe higher than every other statistic, the impatience and instability that saddled James Dolan’s period, significantly when Isiah Thomas was making selections.
As the years and errant draft picks gathered, Ward’s title was related to the streak with extra frequency to underscore the acute size of time. It developed right into a curse as a result of affordable explanations misplaced their motive.
“I’m just happy that (Barrett’s) done well and they’ve given him an opportunity to be there a few more years,” Ward stated. “That’s been very difficult over these last few years of just having a revolving door of players coming through. Time and time again. And I’m just happy that we’ll have one for a few more years.”
The Knicks drafted 24 gamers within the first spherical since Ward signed his extension in 1999, with a listing that reads like nights of remorse and inebriated texting. None caught round for his second contract.
Remember Frederic Weis, the nineteenth general decide in 1999? He was dunked on by Vince Carter within the Olympics and by no means recovered.
How about Mike Sweetney in 2003? No remark.
Recent lottery picks Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox? Gone and gone.
Even when the Knicks made a sensible choice – whether or not it was David Lee in 2005, Danilo Gallinari in 2008, Iman Shumpert in 2011 and Kristaps Porzingis in 2015 – the gamers had been sometimes traded after an govt was fired and a brand new regime stepped in.
But Barrett’s path, at the least up to now, is a straight line. He was the very best Knicks draft decide (third general) since Patrick Ewing. He improved noticeably over three seasons. He’s now the primary to re-sign off his rookie contract for the reason that 90s, with a four-year, $107 million deal (it will possibly attain $120 million with bonuses) that represents essentially the most profitable in Knicks historical past.
It’s a logo of the soundness that has lengthy evaded the Knicks, however Ward warned that endurance continues to be required and expectations shouldn’t change due to the elevated wage.
“You just have to make sure you continue to pour into him and allow him to be who he is, and not try to create him into being something that people think he should be,” Ward stated. “What I mean by that is he may be a piece to a puzzle. He may not be the big-time scorer that everyone thinks he should be because of a contract. So if he could just be a person who is a go-to guy, who is reliable and dependable offensively, and not try to be the main scorer every night like people want him to be.”
There’s a catch, after all. There’s at all times a catch. Barrett wasn’t a lock to re-sign due to the commerce talks for Donovan Mitchell. The circumstances delayed the extension to lower than a month earlier than coaching camp opens, with ESPN reporting that the Knicks set a deadline of Monday to both negotiate a commerce involving Barrett or provide him the brand new contract.
The negotiations for Mitchell are ongoing however Barrett’s extension makes it troublesome, although not unattainable, to incorporate him in such deal due to new contract particulars. Even with out Barrett, who would’ve mitigated the variety of picks and prospects included by New York, group president Leon Rose nonetheless owns essentially the most compelling bundle for the rebuilding Jazz.
Rose’s glut of first-round picks, gathered over two cautious entrance workplace regimes, might be dangled with younger prospects Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes. According to a supply, Jazz govt Danny Ainge needs at the least six first rounders from the Knicks with an emphasis on the unprotected ones.
Ward is towards including Mitchell, believing it’s a foul match subsequent to ball-dominant gamers like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. It’s additionally a kind of flashy and big-gamble offers that might begin an RJ Barrett Curse if it backfires.
“I’m not a big fan. (Mitchell’s) another guy that needs the basketball,” Ward stated. “And so, if you have multiple guys like that on your team, in order to be successful, it makes it difficult. Yes, you need scoring. But you also need guys who don’t need the ball. So if you bring Donovan Mitchell to the team than you’re going to probably stunt one of the younger guy’s growth. Like an RJ Barrett. And having Jalen Brunson, the way he plays, and add a Mitchell, and from what I’ve seen the way he plays, that’s a lot of dribbling. That’s a lot of one-on-one play. And yes, those things may come in handy at some point. But then you got to factor in how the other guys fit into that mix.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com